The Whistler

The first step in Lacy and Hugo’s investigation is to interview Junior Mace, the man on death row who supposedly killed his wife and Son Rozko. On the way to the prison, Lacy reflects on the psychological damage done by solitary confinement. Junior has been on death row for 15 years. He is 52 and has long, gray hair, dark skin, and sad brown eyes. When Lacy asks him if he knows the name Vonn Dubose, he answers no—but his flinch when he says it tells them otherwise. He tells them he suspects Judge McDonald knows the truth—that he didn’t kill his wife and Son Rozko, but he has no proof. The only other people who might know anything that would help his case are the two jailhouse snitches who testified that he bragged to them about killing his wife and Rozko, but they both disappeared shortly after the trial. If they were still alive and could be found, they might confess to having been paid for their testimony.

Junior tells Lacy and Hugo that now he’s not even sure he was on the right side of the debate over the casino. His people now are prosperous—they receive education, healthcare, college expenses for those who want to go, and a dividend for every adult of $5,000 a month.